#012 Leaders Don't Motivate
Motivating your team is not the job of a manager or leader. Do this instead: Align internal motivation with goals and purpose and inspire your team.
Do not motivate your team
Leadership is not about pulling people to follow your path. It's about shining enough light for them to find their own route.
Bosses aim to wield power. They issue commands to maintain control.
Leaders strive to empower. They delegate authority to unleash potential.
Source: Adam Grant, Hidden Potential
When a team member is underperforming and lacks motivation to deliver results, your first reaction should not be to issue commands, micromanage, or motivate them with a rah-rah spiel.
Removing autonomy and dangling a carrot in front of them when they want ice-cream will not magically increase their motivation. No one would want to work for a manager who doesn’t listen to their needs.
A lack of motivation is a sign that they need coaching rather than being told what to do.
Find what motivates your team
People’s internal motivations change throughout life. What’s important to them today might be different a few months later, and that’s completely normal.
For example, if they are starting a family, their motivation could be providing a better life for their family with a higher paycheck, or more time with their family.
Your role as a manager is to be on the pulse with your team’s internal motivation through frequent 1:1s and aligning them with the company and team’s purpose and goals. You will need to coach them (more on coaching in future posts, subscribe to get them directly to your inbox. There is a free ‘No Pledge’ option.) and find opportunities that aligns with their motivation.
Diving a little deeper into motivation, Daniel Pink wrote in his book Drive, that people’s intrinsic motivation stems from three components:
Mastery: Do they have the skillsets to do what is expected of them and are they keen to develop mastery of these skills? Mastery is the desire to improve. Someone who seeks mastery needs to attain it for its own sake.
Autonomy: Are people allowed to complete the task their own way? To be fully motivated, you must be able to control what you do, when you do it, and who you do it with
Purpose: Is there a clear purpose for the activities and are they aligned with the person’s values and ambitions? People may become disengaged and demotivated at work if they don't understand, or can't invest in, the "bigger picture."
Look out for changes in the individual’s mastery and purpose, and use coaching to get them back to a motivated state.
What you can do this week
Whether you currently have team members who are motivated or unmotivated, it is good practice to schedule frequent 1:1s to review performance, share feedback, and align goals, values, and purpose.
Here are a few questions that you can use during your 1:1 to uncover their values and align goals, values, and purpose:
What activities have most importance to you?
What motivates you?
What do you really want?
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What do you really enjoy doing?
What are you willing to dedicate your life to?
When life is over, what would you be glad about? (For example, what you did, achieved, who you were, etc.)
What gives you fulfillment?
What qualities have people noticed in you?
Speak with your people frequently and empathetically. Listen carefully and help them win.
Motivating your team is not the job of a manager or leader. Your job is to set direction, inspire action through purpose and goals, coach, and grow your people. I will cover these in tomorrow’s post.
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